GuidedResearchProcess

Day 2

DRAFT: By the end of 12th grade, students should be able to demonstrate the following information/research skills:

Steps of the Research Process

have assignment and rubric
read assignment and rubric
- Highlight & take notes on assignment sheet
- Understand that research can be frustrating and learn to persevere
- Learn time management
ask questions/clarify
figure out purpose of assignment
what's the point of what I'm producing
who is my audience?
think about a topic
- Learn the difference between big ideas vs. supporting details
- Choose a topic that you can connect to
test topic
- Assess - does topic match assignment
- Learn how to broaden or narrow your topic
- Learn how to assess if there is enough information on your topic or too much information
start developing keywords
why do we need keywords?
- learn importance of keywords and brainstorm keywords for topic
- learn to prepare for searching
keep track of sources
- Learn note taking skills
- Learn how to create a bibliography
- Learn how to use NoodleTools or comparable system
pre-search
- create a system for for research
- Use long term memory to activate prior knowledge - what do I already know

what do I need to find out?
- brainstorm a list of question about your topic to keep you on track (who, what, when, where)
- learn what makes a good essential question
- brainstorm a list of what you need to research
- find out if your topic is controversial and identify important components of the discussion.
- Identify categories and terminology of your topic. This will help expand your keyword list.
where am I supposed to look?
- learn of available sources, different type of sources (books, photos, interviews, newspapers, statistics, etc.) and what would be best for your topic
- get a public library card
where will I find relevant info?
- learn how to identify experts on your topic
- learn where different types of information is located both physically and electronically
- learn how your library is organized & what sources it has
- learn how to use library card catalog
- learn to ask the librarian for help in selecting sources and locating them
calendar/time mgmt.
- create a calendar for different tasks so not doing assignment at last minute
initial outline
"Big Ideas"/Topic

Locate sources
- learn search skills (advanced search features, how to use keywords, '' '', and/or, etc.)
- learn how to read a bibliographic citation and understand it
- learn how to identify what type of source it is
extract info from sources
- learn how to highlight
- learn to note-taking
- learn to find ideas
- learn how to read in content area
- learn how to identify the main point and relate it to your topic
- meaning from context -- make connections to topic and idea you already know
evaluate Sources
- learn to evaluate free web pages and books, periodicals, newspapers, etc.
- distinguish between reliable and unreliable sources
- determine if the information can be used
- learn to differentiate between the different type of sources, example: scholarly article vs popular magazine
- Learn how to evaluate a primary source
keywords - continue list of keywords
keep track of sources - continue with bibliography

reminder of goal of project
idea of a thesis
- learn what a thesis is
- learn how to formulate a thesis statement
reflect/review requirements
- learn inductive vs deductive reasoning
evaluate sources - continue this process
- evaluate type of sources used. am i relying too heavily on one type of source
- refine list of sources
Revisit Research Questions - is the information collected answering research question
- learn that original research question often needs revising after evaluating information collected.
- learn what makes a good research question
organize/outline information
- learn how to create an outline and fit information into it

thesis development
- refine thesis statement
peer conferencing
- learn skills of peer conferencing - protocols
organize info
types of sources
- learn how to use/interpret each type of source example: reference sources
- learn how to avoid being immobilized by piles of sources with no insight